Jenny Dowell, Mayor of Lismore shire, commiserated with Mahyan Kuri, a young mother originally from Fukushima, and reminded us of the scale of the human tragedy caused by the Japan tsunami; David Bradbury, film-maker and environmental activist just back from a visit to India, spoke of how the Indian farmers and fisherfolk saw nuclear power and uranium as a evil serpent; Robert Corrowa, Bundjalung songman and firekeeper at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, emphasised that the Aboriginal elders did not wish for uranium to be mined in Australia and were deeply distressed that Australian uranium had been used in the reactors at Fukushima. And Mookx Hanley, long-time local muso and peace activist, sang "Fukushima Wind".
Mookx was the person who wrote the anthemic anti-nuclear protest song "Leave it in the Ground" way back in the late seventies. On Sunday 11 March, Mookx, along with a crew of artists, dancers, singers and speakers from across the rainbow region, came to the Channon Market to register their opposition to uranium mining. There was Healing Earth, the A'Capella trio from Nimbin; the Dinkum Bohos, just back from a trip to the UK; the gorgeous bellydancers from Barefoot Gypsies; world music duo Nakula; Los Bastardos from the streets of Byron Bay; Thomas de Udiyana from Brazil; and Yosuke Onuma, solo jazz guitarist, all the way from Tokyo. Even Murray Kyle journeyed from Uki and jumped on board to sing a couple.
There were moving expressions of solidarity with the people of Japan at 12 noon and several circles throughout the day, including one at 4.47, the time when the earthquake struck Japan. The Byron Sayonara Nuclear Team produced a newsletter on the latest info from Fukushima, including a report on food radiation, and showed a film: No More Fukushimas. And speaker after speaker pointed out that the people of the world did not want nuclear power. As with other polluting industries like coal seam gas, the nuclear industry was run for the benefit of the 1%, against the wishes and the well-being of the many.
Several hundred people attended the day's events, which included a petition opposing uranium mining and ended with - what else - a cranking drum and dance circle. The day was part of a global campaign to highlight the dangers of the whole nuclear cycle from go to woe - from uranium mining, to faulty nuclear power stations, to radioactive waste, to nuclear weapons proliferation.
No uranium mining in Australia! Leave it in the ground! No More Fukushimas!
BANG (Byron Against Nuclear Group) would like to thank all those who participated to make the day a success, including: the Channon Arts & Craft Market crew, the Rainbow Chai Tent crew, Benny Zable for his anti-nuclear art installation, and Byron Neighbourhood Resource Centre for auspicing the event.
By Harsha Prabhu
